BILL NUMBER: AJR 47	CHAPTERED  05/22/00

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   65
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   MAY 22, 2000
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 18, 2000
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   MAY 16, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   MAY 1, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cedillo
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Alquist, Bock, Calderon, Cunneen,
Davis, Firebaugh, Florez, Havice, Honda, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl,
Leonard, Longville, Lowenthal, Mazzoni, Migden, Pescetti, Scott,
Steinberg, Strom-Martin, Torlakson, Washington, Wayne, and Wiggins)
   (Principal coauthors: Senators Escutia and Murray)
   (Coauthors: Senators Alarcon, Chesbro, Costa, Sher, Soto, and
Vasconcellos)

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2000

   Assembly Joint Resolution No. 47--Relative to Ryan White CARE Act.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 47, Cedillo.  Ryan White CARE Act.
   This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the
United States to expeditiously reauthorize the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act.




   WHEREAS, In California, as of January 1, 1999, more than 110,000
individuals have been infected with the expanding pandemic known as
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); and
   WHEREAS, The State of California created an Office of AIDS within
the State Department of Health Services to proactively address issues
relating to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS; and
   WHEREAS, This office directly administers the expenditure of
federal and state funds to combat the disease; and
   WHEREAS, Due to advancements in pharmaceutical therapies and an
increasing focus on early intervention and treatment, the number of
individuals living with HIV has grown significantly; and
   WHEREAS, For many, the progression from HIV to an AIDS diagnosis
has slowed considerably as a result of these therapies; and
   WHEREAS, It is estimated that more than 44,000 California
residents are currently living with AIDS, 15 percent of the
nationwide total of 288,000; and
   WHEREAS, It is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention that there are 40,000 new HIV infections annually in the
United States and that California accounts for one-fifth, or 8,000,
of these infections; and
   WHEREAS, Approximately one-third of Californians with HIV disease
are unaware of their diagnosis and tens of thousands of individuals
know they are HIV-positive but are not receiving care regularly; and
   WHEREAS, The number of annual AIDS deaths in California dropped 51
percent between 1996 and 1997; however, between 1997 and 1998,
deaths dropped by only 27 percent; and
   WHEREAS, HIV/AIDS in California has a significant impact on
communities of color, gay and bisexual men, and women, as well as
low-income and other underserved communities; and
   WHEREAS, As many as one-half of new HIV infections occur in people
under the age of 25 years; one in four are in young people under age
22 years; and
   WHEREAS, Increasingly, some individuals with HIV disease have also
been diagnosed with substance abuse or mental illness; and
   WHEREAS, Substance abuse is a factor in well over 50 percent of
new HIV infections in some cities; and
   WHEREAS, California looks to the federal government to assist the
state in meeting the expanding health care and social service needs
of people living with HIV disease; and
   WHEREAS, The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency
(CARE) Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300ff et seq.) was first adopted by the
Congress in 1990; and
   WHEREAS, The Ryan White CARE Act expires on September 30, 2000;
and
   WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Ryan White CARE Act has ensured
the delivery of medical care and treatment as well as essential
support services to tens of thousands of Californians including
medical examinations, laboratory procedures and evaluations, drug
therapy, dental care, case management, home health and hospice care,
transportation, housing, legal assistance, benefits education and
assistance, treatment education and adherence, nutrition therapy, and
mental health and substance abuse counseling; and
   WHEREAS, Under federal law, the Ryan White CARE Act is designated
as the provider of last resort; therefore, it is recognized as a
critical safety net program for low-income, uninsured, or
underinsured individuals; and
   WHEREAS, The federal budget for the 2000 fiscal year contains
increased funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, a significant portion
of which is dedicated to California; and
   WHEREAS, Title I of the Ryan White CARE Act currently provides
emergency assistance to the 51 United States metropolitan areas most
heavily impacted by the AIDS epidemic, of which nine are in
California, the most in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, The Ryan White CARE Act has enabled local communities
receiving Title I funding to tailor the delivery of services that
best meet the needs of their residents who are affected by HIV/AIDS;
and
   WHEREAS, California receives funding under Title II of the Ryan
White CARE Act for care and treatment and social services, a
significant portion of which pays for life-extending and life-saving
pharmaceuticals under California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program
(ADAP); and
   WHEREAS, Title III of the Ryan White CARE Act provides funding to
public and private nonprofit entities for outpatient early
intervention and primary care services; and
   WHEREAS, Title IV of the Ryan White CARE Act has focused on women,
children, youth, and families, and has increased access to medical
care and support services for persons under 25 years of age living
with HIV or AIDS; and
   WHEREAS, The Ryan White CARE Act Dental Reimbursement Program
(Title VI) reimburses eligible dental schools and postdoctoral dental
education programs for the reported, uncompensated costs of oral
health care to people living with HIV; and
   WHEREAS, The goal of the Ryan White CARE Act Special Projects of
National Significance (SPNS) Program (Title VI) is to advance
knowledge about the care and treatment of persons living with
HIV/AIDS by providing time-limited grants to assess models for
delivering health and support services, and SPNS projects have
supported the development of innovative service models for HIV care
to provide health and social services to communities of color and
hard-to-reach populations in California; and
   WHEREAS, A network of 14 regional AIDS Education and Training
Centers (AETCs), along with local performance sites, were funded
under Title VI of the Ryan White CARE Act; and
   WHEREAS, These AETCs train clinical health care providers, provide
consultation and technical assistance, and disseminate ever-changing
information to health care professionals on the effective management
of HIV infection; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature affirms its support of the
Ryan White CARE Act, and urges the Congress and the President of the
United States to expeditiously reauthorize the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in order to ensure
that the expanding medical care and support service needs of
individuals living with HIV disease are met; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and the House Minority Leader, the
Chairpersons and ranking minority members of the Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions, Appropriations, and Budget Committees,
to the Chairpersons and ranking minority members of the House
Commerce, Appropriations, and Budget Committees, and to each Senator
and Representative from California in the Congress of the United
States.
